Paladins
by Commissar Adrian
Summary: Remnant was drowning in a sea of black. The Four Kingdoms no longer existed, driven to ruin by the relentless assault of the Grimm. Only Beacon remained, its people resolute even as death raced for them. It is there that Jaune and his men choose to make their stand, one last bid for survival with their lives as payment. But Jaune will learn death is not always the end.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello there!**

 **So before you begin just a few things to note.**

 **First, I was the author of _A Second Chance - Initium Novum_ . If anyone remembers it I'm grateful. However I must also apologize if you do. Things happened, hardware was lost and essentially that fanfic will never see the light of day again.**

 **Second, this will be a time travel fic if you couldn't tell by the summary. Just a warning for people who might be looking for something else.**

 **Third, even though this is a time travel fic I will not be covering most of Season 1 and a majority of Season 2. I feel at this point we've had all we could handle of that particular part of RWBY. At least in fanfic. I mean honestly how many different ways can you kill a Nevermore? Don't answer that.**

 **Fourth, I already know who is going with who. No changing my mind there!**

 **And last but not least there will be an OC. I know that strikes doubt in the hearts of many. Hopefully I don't wind up in Mary Sue land! Dreadful place if its to be believed.**

 **Re-written 3/02/2018**

 **The original chapter was a disaster. I actually felt embarrassed while reading it. The feeling of "Did I seriously consider this good enough to post? Really!?"**

 **I feel it flows much better now. Also no more pointless angst. Urgh.**

* * *

The Four Kingdoms no longer existed. Mistral had been the first to collapse, its council betrayed from within leaving it easy prey for the Grimm. Months later the Kingdom of Atlas had followed; the vaunted Atlesian military unable to face both the Grimm and the civil war that had suddenly started within its borders. It took almost five years for Vacuo to fall but fall it did to a wave of Grimm-Faunus hybrids. This left Vale, or more precisely, Beacon which many called the last bastion of mankind, a bastion that was soon to be overrun.

Jaune Arc, one of the last surviving Paladins of the Order of the Dragon, stared silently at the large monitor that dominated the west wall of the Command Center. Displayed was a map with an overhead view of Beacon and the lands that surrounded it. Each area was separated into color-coded zones that created a mosaic of blue, yellow and red. Blue for areas under Beacon control, yellow for areas which were contested and red for areas lost to the Grimm.

He closed his eyes and sighed. There was just so much yellow and red. He realized the situation for what it was. How could he not? Every day had been a struggle and he knew they had only survived as long as they did because the Grimm had not pressed as hard as they could. It was as if some force had held them back, kept them from swarming over his positions. Now it looked like that force had disappeared, deciding that it was finally time to snuff out the last vestiges of humanity.

Opening his eyes, he saw as another zone turned from yellow to red, more men of his lost to the insatiable appetite of the Grimm. Unconsciously his right hand dropped to the hilt of his sword, Crocea Mors, as a memory surfaced in his mind. The body of Cinder lying at his feet, her face a mask of shock and anger as her life blood poured from a gaping wound in her chest. What had her final words been? Ah, yes. _"Your plans will be doomed to fail…just…like…mine…"_

Well they'll just see about that.

Turning around, he regarded the leader of his Dragoons as the young woman removed her helmet. A mane of blond hair cascaded down her back. Having just returned from the field, he was not surprised to see the young armor-clad woman covered from head to toe in grime and blood. From the way she stood however; he knew none of the blood was hers.

"Give it to me straight, Yang. How much longer can we hold?" he questioned while watching her eyes carefully. They flickered briefly with doubt but that emotion quickly drowned in a wave of righteous anger.

"As long as they have to," she said as she shot him a glare. "The men know what's coming, what their duty is. They will not break; you know that. But…" Her voice faltered.

"Just because they won't break doesn't mean they won't be overwhelmed," Jaune finished for her.

She nodded as her hands clenched tightly around her halberd. "It's madness out there, Jaune. No matter what we do, no matter what we try, it just never ends. A score replaces every Grimm we strike down. The outer defenses are at the breaking point. It's only a matter of time before it becomes infeasible to hold our positions there."

"We won't have to," he said as he waved a gauntleted hand. A scaled down holographic map of Beacon appeared in front of him and Yang. "It's as you've said. The Grimm are pushing, hard. If there is any way for us to complete our objective, we need to move up our timetable. That means a few things must change."

He highlighted several zones and then gestured to a messenger who stood nearby. As the man ran up he ordered, "Lieutenant, pass the word to Knight Captain Fox and his adjutants. Inform them that they are to abandon the outer defense line. Holding it will only waste what little manpower we have remaining. They will instead consolidate most of our forces here at the edge of the campus. I leave it to them how they choose to do this."

"Yes sir." The man saluted and hurried off.

"Hmm, I see what you're doing," Yang said, a fist held under her chin. "Drawing our lines closer will mean our teams can cover each other better. Not to mention the fortifications there will give them some much needed cover. However…" She gave off a predatory smile. "The way they're set up will also allow us to gain some control of how the battle will flow. Cardin made the adjustments I take it?"

Jaune nodded and waved over another messenger. He spoke briefly with the man before sending him off as well. Turning back to Yang he said, "It won't be much but the traps should buy some more time."

Her smile grew wider, the young woman eager to get back into the fray. "Where do you want me and my Dragoons?"

Jaune quickly tapped another zone on the map. "Here, at the Central Communications Tower."

Yang started, her smile disappearing. She studied the map and then frowned, her eyes looking up at him questioningly.

He smiled the same way she had done just moments ago. "I have a trump card I've been saving for a moment like this and I need you nearby so you can react in the best manner possible once I use it."

Crocea Mors slid from its sheath and he held it steadily before him. "The final stages of Operation Ark start now."

* * *

Cardin heard the alert over his communications bead and frowned. Something must have happened for Jaune to move up the timetable like that. Sighing internally, he turned around and knelt down in front of his daughter.

She looked at him, her face smiling in the way only a child could. He reached out and hugged her, holding her tightly in his arms.

"Alright sweetie, it looks like daddy needs to hurry back to work now," he said while gently stroking her brown shoulder length hair. "I know I promised you that I would be with you for the entire trip but some very important friends need my help. Just follow your aunt to the ship and hold a seat for me, okay?"

"But daddy, why do you need to go help them? Why can't you say with me?" his daughter asked, her little arms clinging with a strength that was completely at odds to her small stature. "You promised me you would! You pinky promised!"

"I know honey. I know. But remember..." Cardin gently pried her off him and smiled, his hands gripping hers. He could not believe how she looked more like her mother with each passing day. "I'm superman remember? I'm a hero and heroes help people when they call, isn't that right?"

His little girl scrunched up her face and then asked, "Just like mommy?"

"Yes honey. Just like mommy." Good, maybe this wouldn't be as hard as he had thou-

"But mommy said the same thing and she never came back," she whispered. Her face began to pale and tears started to well up in her eyes.

Gulping, Cardin desperately searched for his sister-in-law and spotted her off to the side. It looked like the woman had decided to give them some distance, a small measure of privacy. His eyes sought hers and tried to convey what he could not say aloud.

The older woman responded immediately and quickly made her way over.

"It's okay Cocoa," the older woman assured as she reached the two of them. She knelt down beside his daughter and grinned. "Remember who your daddy is. What do you always say when people ask how he is?"

"M-my daddy is the strongest," Cocoa replied, her voice shaky.

"And isn't he?" his sister-in-law continued. "Have you ever seen your daddy lose a fight? Don't you have faith in him?"

"I do!" Cocoa almost shouted. Her voice was noticeably stronger. "I do have faith in my daddy!"

"Then believe in him, Cocoa. Let him go and help his friends. Let him be the hero you know he is." The older woman glanced at Cardin and winked.

Taking her hint, Cardin stood up and stuck several poses in quick succession. He was sure he looked ridiculous doing it but he could put up with anything if it was for his daughter. While striking what he hoped was a particularly heroic pose, he glanced down.

Cocoa sniffed a few times and looked up at him. Her face had regained some of her color. She took her aunt's hand and gave him a wide toothy smile then said, "Go daddy, be their hero too."

Cardin chuckled and reached down to place a hand on top of his daughter's head. With a quick shake, he ruffled it and said, "You bet honey."

* * *

"Fight on men! They cannot withstand us!" Knight-Devout Yue yelled as he cleaved a Beowulf in two, his crimson eyes flashing. As the beast's remains fell to either side of him, he took a moment to survey the field. The men on this section of the wall were all engaged in combat but they were holding, somehow. A glance at his HUD confirmed that it was much the same on the other sections of the wall.

However it could not last. He could see the small slip-ups, the slight mistakes the men were starting to make. They had all been fighting for the better part of a day without any rest and it was starting to wear them all down. Aura or not, things were going to give soon and he could not think of any way to delay it.

Sidestepping a charging Boarbatusk by a hair, he turned and blasted a crater through the offending Grimm's head with his revolver. Spinning back around, he saw movement coming from his peripherals and ducked in time to avoid an Ursa Major from smashing the side of his face. His Aura might have protected him from most of the damage but it would have left him stunned regardless. Thumbing the trigger of his chainsword, he swung up and lopped off one of the Ursa's giant paws. The beast howled and reared back on its hind legs, spittle flying from its jaws. With a flourish, he disemboweled the Grimm and grimaced as some of the beast's blood splattered onto his face and his short snow-white hair.

As he stopped to wipe his face clean, he realized two things. First, how was it that he even had time to find a cloth to wipe away the blood? Second, the sound of combat had abruptly died. Yue looked up and his eyes widened.

To a beast, every Grimm on the field had stopped moving. Even as he took in the sight, a flock of Nevermore plummeted from the sky and crashed into the ground. One fell close to him and as the dust cleared, he could see the thing's eyes looking balefully back at him.

Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, he stepped forward and quickly decapitated the Nevermore while wondering what had caused such an event. After a moment, he concluded that he honestly did not care how it had happened. Whatever is was, it had only affected the Grimm and he did not want to squander the opportunity it had given them.

"Look alive men! Don't just stand there gawking! Kill them all!"

* * *

Jaune tore himself away from Crocea Mors with a shout, his hands feeling as if they were on fire. Staggering backwards, he stumbled and collapsed onto the ground. Chest heaving, he turned his head toward Yang and gasped, "Your…turn…"

Yang nodded and slammed her helmet's visor down. Her eye slits blazed as she sprinted off the tower's roof. Halberd clenched tightly in her right hand she jumped off and for a moment, it seemed like she was weightless, her body just hanging in the air. However, the moment quickly passed as she dropped into the night. After her followed her unit, each man and woman emulating their commander as they rushed after her and toward battle.

Coughing, Jaune laid back and directed his gaze toward the stars. He smiled. In his wildest of dreams, he would have never imagined it going as well as it did. Leave it to Ozpin to have a failsafe that made use of him and his family heirloom. Still, it had cost him. His Aura was gone and he could already feel the hands of death coming for him.

"Heh, I know Pyrr. I'm sorry," he whispered as he closed his eyes, imaging how his partner would scold him once he meant her on the other side. She had always been more concerned about his safety and health than he had; it was one of the reasons he'd fallen for her. _Jaune_ , _you need to start taking better care of yourself. Here let me bandage that for you. Jaune, don't push yourself so hard. Your body needs time to heal. Jaune, you haven't been eating lately. Let me get you something. Jaune-_

As another coughing fit racked his body, he couldn't help but look forward to his approaching death. He would finally be able to rest and reunite with not just Pyrrha but all the others. One thing for sure, he would give Ozpin a verbal thrashing. The old man deserved it.

Opening his eyes, he put that thought aside and looked toward the stars as the enormity of what he had accomplished dawned on him. The Ark would be able to launch, its cargo safely nestled within its hold. Humanity would have the chance to start anew, away from the Grimm. They had won.

Suddenly an ear-shattering roar filled the night sky.

Jaune's mouth went dry. No, it was not possible. It simply was not possible!

The roar came again followed shortly by a titanic explosion. Screams erupted.

Gritting his teeth, he strained his muscles and managed to find the strength to push himself up. Panting, he began to crawl to the edge of the tower. The going was slow and he had to stop several times to catch his breath. All the while, the sounds of people screaming and crying filled his mind. When he finally reached the edge, he directed his gaze out across the grounds and felt his heart stop.

The Ark lay on the docks, its body gutted. Flames wreathed the massive ship and within its remains stood a gargantuan Grimm. Even from his vantage point, he could see as it opened its maw and engulfed hundreds of fleeing figures in molten flame.

Several stood their ground and he swore he could make out some familiar faces. They tried to fight back but all they got for their courage was a swift death.

He watched as a figure with flaming yellow hair, Yang; launch a ferocious attack with her unit supported by their remaining tanks and mechs only for the Grimm to sweep them all aside with contemptuous ease. Yang herself snatched up by a massive claw and swallowed completely.

Jaune could barely feel the tears sliding down his cheeks. They had been so close. Victory had been right there, just within reach. As darkness began to close in around him, he let lose a cry toward the heavens. He had failed.

* * *

Someone was screaming that much was clear. Whoever it was, Cardin's heart reached out to them. He had heard screams like that before. It was a scream for the loss of a loved one, a soul-tearing scream laden with grief. He needed to help the poor soul, let him or her know that there were people out there who could help with the sorrow, to help them move on. That is until the screaming abruptly stopped when he had to cough.

He had been the one screaming.

Still coughing, he opened his eyes and was stunned to find himself on his knees, his face pressed against the concrete with his hands tightly gripping his hair. Pushing himself up, he brought down his hands and gazed at them in shock. Whose blood was that? Why were his fingernails torn clean off? What had he been doing? What had happened? The last thing he remembered was running to his command station after saying goodbye to his daughter.

That's right! His daughter!

Cardin picked up his head and felt his blood go cold. The sight of the burning Ark and shrieking figures covered in flames filled his vision. Reality rushed back to him and he remembered why he had been screaming. Why his hands were bloody and why there were tears streaming down his face. His shining star, his daughter, was gone and the thing responsible for it towered behind him.

The Grimm was monstrous. It looked like a dragon out of legend with a wingspan that could bloat out the stars. Its claws were as long as street lamps and he had seen its thick scales shrug off fire from everything the warriors of Beacon had thrown at it. Then there were the eyes. The intelligence behind them was one that pre-dated humanity. To it, they were nothing but pebbles on a road.

Moreover, it was looking down right at him.

He felt his blood turn into ice.

It almost seemed to laugh at his helplessness. Gloating over how powerless he was.

As it opened its jaws, fire licking at its chops, Cardin closed his eyes.

* * *

Yue opened his eyes and wondered why he was sitting down. As he tried to stand up, he grimaced as pain shoot up the length of his body. He glanced down and regarded the solid steel pipe going through his abdomen with almost detached interest.

How many times did this make now, coming back from the brink?

Sighing, he looked around and saw the remains of what had been a tank squadron, now nothing more than just hunks of charred iron and steel.

"Wish this dying business would hurry up. I don't have all day," he said to no one in particular. "I mean seriously, how much blood have I lost now? Must've leaked out several pints at least, right?"

No one answered him, not that he expected someone to. That cursed Grimm had made sure of that.

While the minutes dragged by, Yue played with several ideas on how his current situation could have been avoided. They weren't incredibly clever but he blamed that on the fact that he was speared to the ground and how every breath he took was agony, not exactly the ideal situation to think up intricate strategies.

One thing for sure, he was going to punch that ridiculous headmaster Ozpin in the face for playing that game of his. So many things hidden for the so-called right moment to only be squandered in the worst ways possible. Granted, as a Knight-Devout he could understand why the man had done what he did. That did not mean he had to agree with it.

"Although I might have to get in line behind Jaune and Ruby," Yue mused aloud. "No doubt they had a greater stake in his game than someone such as I. Probably better that way."

As his vision began to dim, he sighed and prepared to greet his friends. He'd no doubt kept them waiting long enough.

* * *

Fate observed the three souls floating before it with an emotion bordering on curiosity. Why had it plucked those souls from the soul steam out of countless others? What whimsical notion had made it stop those souls from continuing on to their predetermined rebirth? The more it thought on the matter, the more vexed it became when it could not find an answer. It was Fate, the omnipotent force to which all life was connected. In the countless millennia it had spent watching Remnant and beyond it had never once before experienced what it was feeling now. Confusion.

No, that was not possible. Fate could not be confused. There must be a reason why it had taken those souls, some purpose that was surely important. Right? Grabbing the three souls, it studied them closely. Their wishes were simple. One yearned for his family. The other yearned for his friends. The last sought a purpose in life. In the end they all wished for the same thing, a second chance at life. Nothing out of the ordinary. Many souls often passed with some task unfulfilled. But surely there was something else?

Wait. What if that was it? Yes, these souls had no greater destiny but perhaps that is why they had attracted its attention. They were meant to do great things but had obviously been mislabeled. Yes, clearly that was it. Confident that it had found the reason behind its action Fate wondered what to do. The three had already died, that much was true. However, it would be a simple matter to give them back their lives. Yet it hesitated. If it left things as they were, the souls would just come back to him in much the same way and that would be inexcusable. That would mean that it had been wrong and that was impossible.

Perhaps…perhaps it would give them some advantages. Ways to help them meet their greater destiny. It was only right. If it had a face it would have smiled, impressed at how cunning it was. It took the three souls and imprinted on them gifts, one of which was the knowledge they had carried when they had still been alive. Satisfied, it tossed them into the sea of revival and praised itself on a job well done.

After all, Fate was never wrong.

* * *

 **Comments and Criticisms are welcome.**

 **Cheers!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Re-Written 3/7/2018**

 **Okay, this chapter was changed quite a bit. Will say more at the end.**

* * *

Jaune yawned as he turned on the sink's faucet. He grabbed a nearby washcloth and waited for the water to warm with half closed eyes. Once it reached a temperature he was satisfied with, he took the washcloth and soaked it underneath the faucet. Bringing the now water-laden cloth to his face, he scrubbed vigorously and could feel the last vestiges of sleep leave him.

Squeezing the washcloth dry, or as close to dry as he could make it, he set it back on the hook from which he had grabbed it. Looking up, he frowned at the young face staring back at him. Every day a part of him expected the dream to end and yet it had continued unabated for over two years. At this point, he could probably admit that this was not a dream and that it was real.

He could still remember vividly the moment he had woken up in his old bed in his family home on the Arc estate. It had been surreal. He had taken the better part of an hour just touching his old belongings. When his mother had walked in, he had broken down into tears and hugged her like a drowning man clutching a life preserver. It had taken four of his sisters and his father to pry him off the shocked woman. Thankfully, he had been able to pass the event off as him having just woken up from a nightmare, which was not exactly false.

Following that, for the first week he had just taken the time to re-familiarize himself with both his family and his younger body. The family aspect he had enjoyed immensely, often-spending hours just listening to their voices. The younger body aspect was much less pleasing.

Jaune had forgotten how weak he had been and had quickly drawn up a training routine. His family had been bemused but he had told them that if he truly wanted to be a huntsman then he needed to take his training seriously. His father had been quick to lend a hand once his determination was clear. Truth be told it had been a strangely rewarding experience. He had been able to spend some quality time with a man that had been somewhat of a stranger in his previous life.

"Sometimes reality really is stranger than fiction," he mused aloud while turning away from the mirror.

Exiting the bathroom, he paused and took a moment to take in the sleeping forms of his teammates. He smiled as he took it all in. It had taken some clever meddling in order to assure that he would be the one leading team JNPR. Something he was glad he did.

Nora once again had tossed her covers off and was lying haphazardly on her bed, her mouth wide open as she snored. Meanwhile her childhood friend and partner, Ren, looked like he had just gone to sleep with barely a wrinkle in his sheet. Meanwhile Pyrrha's bed lay empty, her blankets neatly folded at the foot.

Looking at the room's wall clock, he shook his head. He could not help but be impressed at how early the girl got up every morning. He could count on one hand the number of times he'd gotten up before her and even then it would only be a matter of minutes.

He quietly made his way over to the room's lone window and cracked open the blinds. It only took him a few seconds to spot Pyrrha shadow fighting underneath the large oak tree that grew besides their dorm building. As he watched he wondered who or what she was imaging as her opponent. Judging by how she was moving, he could formulate a few guesses.

Jaune turned away from the window and made his way to his dresser. As he shed his pajamas and started getting dressed, he quickly ran through the day's planned events through his head. He had a long day ahead of him.

* * *

Yue sighed as he finished grading one of his class's latest homework assignments. Sometimes he wondered why he even bothered to grade them. Most of the work handed in to him was appalling. Even Jaune and Cardin gave him things he could only equate to trash.

Sighing again, he tucked the graded papers into his bag and stood from his desk. Well, if they wanted to flunk his class, so be it. It was not as if they needed someone to handle their finances. They had him after all. However, the rest of his students were a concern. Too many Huntsmen left their finances to others and that often wound up with them living from bounty to bounty. That was no way to live. He would hammer the knowledge of basic financial responsibility into their heads if he had too. Shame it seemed to be so slow in taking.

He looked at the time and figured it was time to head down to the cafeteria to pick up some lunch. According to Jaune, the food there was mediocre but he couldn't see why. It was leagues better than the slop they served in Haven. For one the chicken actually tasted like chicken. As far as he was concerned, that was more than plenty.

The halls were relatively quiet as he made his way through the campus. He only passed a few students, all of whom acknowledged him with a greeting, something that he returned readily.

"Ah, Professor Yue!" one female student, a second-year judging from her uniform, shouted from an alcove. "Do you have a moment? I need some help."

"Of course," he responded with a grin. What type of professor would he be if he didn't make time for his charges? He walked over to the student and asked, "What may I help you with?"

An envelope was pressed into his hands, the girl blushing furiously as she stammered, "M-my friend asked me to give this to you. Thank you! Bye!"

Without another word, the girl ran off.

Yue blinked, his red eyes amused, as he looked at the envelope gripped in his left hand. He chuckled while pocketing the item.

"Some things never change."

* * *

As soon as Jaune sat down with his team at the cafeteria table alongside team RWBY, Yang got up from her seat and grabbed him by the collar. "Ok, spill. What's going on between you and Weiss?"

Instantly feeling the eyes of everyone at the table, particularly Pyrrha's which seemed to be burning a hole in the back of his head, he could only gasp, "Huh?"

Yang's face split into a predatory smile. "Oh, like you don't know? I saw you and her go into our room yesterday. You were both in there for _quite_ a long time. Up to something naughty, Jaune?"

"Jaune!" Pyrrha gasped while Ruby and Nora began assailing Weiss with questions. Ren and Blake looked on from the sidelines, their faces showing clearly how little they cared for the situation.

Jaune mentally face palmed. Out of all the people to see them, it had to be Yang. Trust her to come up with something like that. The girl had such a vivid imagination for one so innocent, despite how she acted.

"Is that all?" he sighed while removing Yang's hands from his collar. He cocked an eyebrow. "I think you might be reading one too many romance novels, Yang. Blake, what have we said about letting others read your private stash?"

Blake made an interesting noise from her end of the table while Yang backed off, her face flushing. The rest of the table fixed him in their sights, eager to hear what he had to say.

"You see," Jaune began while catching Weiss's eye, the girl making a small motion with her hand. "Weiss just wanted to ask me about the little dance we performed a few days ago. She was impressed at how well we choreographed it and wanted to see if I was interested in doing a performance with your team. It took us awhile to hash out some ideas. Honestly we were going to ask your opinions' later today."

"Oh." Yang frowned and shook her head, her hands coming to rest on her hips. "But I know I heard groaning from our room. How do you explain that, Jaune?"

"That..." He blushed a little bit and rubbed the back of his head. "Well it seems Weiss and I have two very different ideas on what is considered _dance_."

The entire table shifted their gazes from him to Weiss.

"Well I never!" Weiss exclaimed as she crossed her arms across her chest. "I'll have you know that I was taught by the finest dancers in Atlas. I _know_ how to dance. I for one am affronted that-"

"See what I mean?" Jaune interrupted, his face pained. "That groaning you heard was most likely me after hearing from her for the tenth time how to perform a proper two-step."

Yang sighed knowingly. "I know your pain, Jaune. It's something we have to deal with every day unfortunately."

"Hey!"

"Yeah? Well I'm her partner and I got to hear it even more than all of you!" Ruby whined as her head hit the cafeteria table. "She doesn't have an off switch! I checked!"

" _Hey_! Wait, what do you mean you checked? What did you check?"

"Eep!" Ruby threw up her hood and jumped up to hide behind Yang as the heiress stood up menacingly.

"In any case," Jaune said, pitching his voice to draw the table's attention. He really just wanted to get to eating already. "That's why we were in your dorm room yesterday, Yang. If you want I can even show you a video of us practicing some steps."

The young girl looked for a moment as if she wanted to pursue the matter further but then shrugged. "I believe you, Jaune. Can't say I'm not disappointed though. I was sure you and Weiss were getting it o-"

"Yang," Weiss interrupted, as the air around their table got noticeably colder. "You do not wish to finish that sentence. I can assure you of that."

Yang gulped while the rest of the table started edging away.

A few seconds passed in silence.

"Who wants pancakes!?" Nora yelled as she slammed a giant stack of the aforementioned item onto the table.

"Nora, I'm sure we'll all love some," Pyrrha said. She turned and beamed at them all. "Right?"

It didn't take a genius to see the underlying threat. Pyrrha might have a heart of gold but that didn't mean she couldn't get annoyed.

"Sure, I'll love some!" Yang laughed while grinning nervously. She shifted over next to Weiss and threw an arm around the smaller girl. "Right, Weiss?"

"Y-yes! I would love some, Nora."

The situation defused, Jaune blinked his thanks to his partner and promptly sat down. Picking up his knife and fork, he dug into his omelet as the others followed suit. Soon enough they were talking amongst each other, whatever that had happened previously lost to the wind.

Pyrrha, who had settled down next to him, nudged his shoulder.

Curious, he glanced over at her and smiled. "What's up, Pyrr?"

"I was wondering, Jaune. I know we've been sparring for awhile now but I was hoping to get a bit more serious. I think we know each other well enough by now to fight with fewer constraints." The girl blushed beautifully. "That is if you don't mind."

Jaune's smile widened. He was wondering when the girl would get around to the idea. "I would love to, Pyrr. What did you have it mind?"

* * *

Cardin entered the classroom and carefully closed the door behind him. He took out a small circular metal disc and affixed it to the door's handle. It beeped several times and then went silent. Satisfied he turned around and looked at the two men who stood by the front of the room, near the teacher's podium. "Alright, we're good."

"Excellent, then we can begin." Yue reached into his pocket and held out an envelope. He opened it and took out the letter nestled within. "I just received word from one of our recruiters. A decent number of potential knights were screened last weekend. All of them passed the tests given."

Yue held out the letter for Cardin to take.

Walking forward, Cardin grabbed the letter and scanned the contents. Many of the names printed were familiar to him; he had provided most of them after all. Still, he was glad that they were still as trustworthy in this life as they had been in the last. Good help was always difficult to find.

He handed the letter to Jaune and said, "I'm glad this is working as well as it has been. With this, we have the makings of a Knight Company. Do you think we could use them to help with the Breach?"

Jaune shook his head as he read the letter. "I wouldn't want to. They will be one of our stronger cards to play and I don't want to see them used so soon. The longer we can keep them a secret, the better. That aside, Cardin, how goes your attempts to find what out what Cinder used in order to take control of Atlas's mechs during the Fall?"

It was going better than he had imagined. He said as much while fishing out a flash drive from his uniform's coat pocket. "Dove was able to help me out greatly here. Turns out he has a knack for computers. Once I told him what I wanted to find he was able to nail it down without too much difficulty. Here's the report."

He tossed the flash drive to Jaune who caught it in one hand.

"I don't understand the exact details behind it but it's basically a virus. As for what it does, it apparently will change the friend or foe recognition software built into every Atlas mech. According to Dove once activated every person the mech sees will be designated as a hostile. I asked Dove if he could remove it but he says that is beyond his abilities."

Jaune looked at the flash drive and then gave it to Yue. "See what your contacts can make of this. Give me a battlefield and I'll work miracles but something like this has always been out of my expertise."

Chuckling, Yue took the flash drive and pocketed it. "I'll see what I can find out. It might even be time to pay Junior another visit. For old times' sake of course."

"Of course that goes without saying" Jaune laughed before quickly sobering. His eyes narrowed. "Now then, the main question of the day. Cardin, how's your team doing performance wise?"

Cardin took a moment to think it over. His teammates had taken quite well to the training he had given them. At their current rate, in a few months time they would be able to give any second-year team a real fight and that included team CFVY. It was very different from how they were previously.

"I'll say they'll be able to at least keep up with team JNPR in field missions," he finally said. "Where they lack in talent they make up with sheer determination. Give them some time and I'll consider them prime candidates for Knights Exemplar."

"Will they be ready for the Breach when it occurs?"

"Yes, they'll be ready." Although he would take steps to increase their training intensity as the days go by. Couldn't be too careful.

After answering a few more questions, Cardin took his leave of both Jaune and Yue. The two needed to go over a few more details but didn't need his input. Any other person might have been put off but after years of fighting alongside one another, they just knew each other that well.

Besides, he had his own tasks to accomplish. As he made his way to Beacon's Forge, he dialed a number on his Scroll. It rang a few times before the person on the other end picked up.

"Cardin?"

"Hey Velv! Listen, I need a favor…"

* * *

 **So previously I had Yue tell Ozpin all about the future and how magical and beautiful it is. Somehow magically the headmaster and all his friends including the distrustful Ironwood believed him and that his words were like Gospel. See the problem? Honestly if someone came up to me and said they were a time traveler I would have them sent to the loony bin.**

 **Hence the changes. This time I'll be having the boys work "behind the scenes" in a way.**

 **Also remember the part where I said where I would skip Season 1 and most of Season 2? Enough said.**

* * *

 **Arrangement of Paladin Ranks thus far.**

 **1\. Paladin**

 **2.** **Knight Devout**

 **3\. Knight Captain**

 **4\. Knight Exemplar**

* * *

 **Comments and Criticisms are welcome.**

 **Cheers!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Re-Written 3/10/2018**

 **Some changes here was well. More on that later.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Yue, wearing a simple red button down and black slacks, smiled as he waited at one of Beacon's landing pads. It was such a beautiful day out, with nary a cloud in the sky. The sun shone down on him and he enjoyed the warmth that enveloped his body. It was a rare day indeed that let him relax as such and he was going to do his best to enjoy the moment.

He had already spotted the airship that he had been sent to greet. As it drew closer, he took the time to admire the curvature of the ship's hull. It reminded him of the swans that he had seen in Atlas. They were such beautiful birds and displayed an elegance that few could match. Given the person who he would be meeting, he figured the design of the ship was a statement just as much as it was for fashion.

As the airship touched down on the landing pad, he waited patiently as it powered down. A hatch alongside the ship's side soon opened and he walked forward to make himself known to the ship's passengers as they disembarked. He looked at one passenger in particular.

"Winter, it's a pleasure to see you again," he greeted while holding his right hand out. "You look as lovely as ever. Did you enjoy your trip?"

The person he addressed, a tall young woman with brilliant white hair and slate blue eyes, reached forward and grasped his offered hand. Her eyes studied him briefly, before she smiled and answered, "The pleasure is all mine, Yue. It is nice to see a familiar face after such a long trip. You know how dreadfully boring they can be."

Chuckling good naturally, he nodded and released the woman's hand. Gesturing toward Beacon, which lay off in the distance, he asked, "Shall we?"

"Of course."

The two of them fell into step with one another as they quickly distanced themselves from the airship and made their way down Beacon's Main Avenue. The other passengers who had disembarked, two men clad in Atlesian armor who were most likely Winter's subordinates, followed at a discreet distance.

"So tell me Winter, how are you doing? I remember your father saying recently something about trying to get you to quit your, and I quote, _disgraceful life choice_." He theatrically shrugged his shoulders while shaking his head. "Forgive me for saying this but the man is like an Ursa in a china shop, thick-headed and prone to breaking everything it touches whether by accident or otherwise."

The young woman sighed heavily. "No apology is necessary. It is as you say, Yue. The man might have struck me from the line of inheritance but he stills spends no small amount of effort to try to get me to return. I believe he feels slighted in how I decided to go against his wishes."

Yue nodded while thinking about her father's personality. Just like in his time, Jacques Schnee was a self-serving, controlling, egotistic blowhard that the world would not mourn if the man just up and died. He blinked. Well, that just happened.

Sighing himself, he said, "The man certainly is stubborn. I will give him that."

"Stubborn is putting it lightly," Winter replied with a light laugh. She turned her head toward him, her eyes dancing with amusement. "But enough of that. While I might be here on business, I am glad they sent you to escort me. It makes my second objective all that much easier."

"Oh?"

"It seems I owe you a debt of gratitude, Yue."

He searched his recent memories for what she could be alluding to but came up short. He frowned and scrunched his face in confusion. "I'm afraid you have me at a loss. What do you mean?"

"You're a Professor here now, yes?"

"That is correct."

"My sister Weiss numbers among your students, does she not?"

Ah, that was what she was getting at. "That she does. Worry not; she is one of my most attentive and best students. No doubt she takes after her mother in that regard, much like you."

"You flatterer," Winter said while favoring him with a small smile. "But that's not why I brought her up. I know she is an exemplary student. As you said, we take after our mother after all. No, rather it is what she does with that team of hers, rather recently too."

"You're talking about the incident involving the stolen Paladin."

Winter dipped her head in acknowledgement. "Quite."

A hand went up to cover his face. That had been an eventful night, a White Fang rally infiltration followed by a highway run-and-gun battle through the streets of Vale. He could only be thankful that team RWBY and those two boys from team SSSN had emerged from that fight relatively unscathed. Roman Torchwick was Vale's number one criminal for good reason. The number of dead credited to him numbered in the hundreds and that included several dozen fully-fledged huntsmen. If the man were serious, he would have been able to take on even six huntsmen-in-training, no matter how talented they were.

Which was why when Weiss had came to him about how her teammates were in trouble, he had followed her without a moment's hesitation. However, while he was present for much of their fight with Torchwick, he had only provided mild support for most of the exchange. The man hadn't seemed to be putting his all into the fight and truth is, Yue had wanted to see how well the team performed outside of a controlled environment. They had not disappointed. Nevertheless, when the Neo girl appeared he had quickly taken over. She was more dangerous than Torchwick and they were still unsure as to why she was with him.

"I was lucky," he finally said. "I happened to be in the area and had been drawn by the sound of combat. However by the time I arrived your sister's team had the situation well in hand. It was not-"

"You would do not to lie to me, Yue," Winter interrupted, her gaze turning chilly. "My sister told me everything."

He sighed. "Of course she did."

Winter sighed as well and stopped, turning to face him. She hesitantly reached out and put a gloved hand on his left arm. "If you are concerned that I would disapprove of letting Weiss and her team fight Torchwick as a team-building exercise you needn't be concerned. In fact I welcomed it."

One of his eyebrows lifted at that. Winter's concern for her sister's well-being was legendary to those who knew her. Fighting a world-renowned criminal was anything but safe.

"I see that look in your eye. No doubt you are wondering why I would approve?"

He nodded, his eyes clearly showing his curiosity.

"It's simple. Weiss needs the experience. Having her fight against someone like Torchwick, while setting the bar a little high, serves well as an example to what she will face once she becomes a fully-fledged Huntress." Winter scowled as she removed her hand from his arm. "As we both well know, the world is a dangerous place and the Grimm are not the only monsters that seek to cause us harm."

"You're talking about the White Fang aren't you?" Yue asked soberly. The activist turned terrorist group was notorious for going after the Schnee Dust Company. "Not just them either. All the enemies your father has no doubt made in the years since he's had the reins of the Schnee Dust Company."

"Yes…" Winter turned away from him and motioned that they continue walking.

Neither of them talked, each of them occupied with their own thoughts. Entering one of the Academy's plazas, Winter gestured toward a nearby empty bench.

As Winter sat down, she stretched her arms out and closed her eyes, seeming to bask in the sun's warm midday rays.

Yue joined her, leaving a respectable distance between the two of them, and ran a hand through his short, silver hair. He looked around the plaza and was pleased to see so many of his students out enjoying the day.

After a few minutes, Winter said, "You know, I was surprised to learn from Weiss that you had decided to take up teaching. I had always imagined that you would enlist in Atlas's Specialist program and join me in the field. It was all we talked about back when we were kids. What changed?"

Dying, but he could hardly tell her that. In fact, there was very little that he could tell her. While he did not doubt the friendship he had with Winter, he did not want to test it against her loyalty to General Ironwood and Atlas. So he decided for a half-truth.

"I felt my place was here, helping groom Remnant's future protectors or rather their checkbooks." He laughed as he remembered how his first class had gone. "Did you know most of them didn't even know what a checkbook was? I was stunned!"

Winter looked at him, her eyes sharp as icicles. "But you could have done that at Atlas Academy. There was no need for you to come all the way to Vale."

Did she have to be so perceptive? "Yes, well I have my reasons."

Once it was clear that he was not going to elaborate, Winter sighed and turned away from him. She removed the ruby embedded brooch that held the collar of her coat together and held it up. The sun's rays stuck it and it glittered prettily in her hand. When she next spoke, her voice was soft almost melancholy. "Those reasons, do they involve me?"

He could almost feel the air grow heavy with her anticipation. Unsure as to what to say, he remained silent as his mind raced to understand what was happening.

Seeing his reaction or rather lack of, Winter smiled but the action stood in stark contrast to her eyes which were devoid of emotion. "I see."

As she made to stand, he grabbed her wrist. He blinked in surprise, his body having moved without his realizing.

The young woman stared down at him, locking his eyes with hers. With a shock, he realized that they were starting to film with tears.

He honestly had no idea what was going on or what was causing the young woman to act like this. The Winter he had known always had a firm grip on her emotions. Sure she could get hot-headed at times but this was something completely contrary to what he knew.

"I-t doesn't have anything to do with you," he finally stammered out.

Winter didn't move but neither did she move to sit back down, as if she was waiting for more.

Hesitantly, he continued, "Believe me when I say this. While I can't get into the particulars, there is a good reason I am here at Beacon. Part of it is because I do want to help these students. They need to learn other skills besides how to kill Grimm."

"But?"

"But I can't say more. Not right now. Maybe in time I can confide in you but I can't yet. If you take anything away from this just know this, I am still your friend. Now and forever."

They continued to stare at one another. To him the silence between the two of them was deafening. After what felt like an eternity, she broke eye contact first. "I believe you."

Feeling strangely relieved, Yue smiled as Winter sat back down, a handkerchief appearing in her hand going up to dab her eyes. He did not notice how she was closer than she had been before or the fact he had never let go of her wrist.

As if a dam had burst, they began talking, the minutes stretching on to a half hour, then even longer. Had they been paying any attention, they would have noticed that they had on-lookers.

They made quite a pair, his red and black contrasting vividly with her blue and white. Several students looked on with envy or awe, wondering the identity of the woman that was so animatedly chatting with their Finance Professor.

* * *

Weiss could not believe her eyes. Granted she knew the two were friends, Winter had mentioned as much on many occasion. However, she had rarely seen her sister like this. Her sister looked so…content talking with the professor. Part of her seethed with jealousy yet the vast majority cheered ecstatically that her sister had finally found someone else to let her guard down around.

She forgot how long she had stood there, not quite hiding behind a vending machine just off to the side of the plaza where her sister and Professor Yue sat, watching them as they conversed. Much as she wanted to greet her sister, she just could not bring herself to interrupt the two.

"What'cha looking at Weiss?"

Weiss jumped up and whirled around, her eyes flashing at whoever dared sneak up on her, a sharp retort ready to burst from her lips. That is until she saw two pools of silver looking at her curiously. Of course.

"What is it Ruby?" Weiss asked with a sigh, a hand coming up to rest against her forehead. This was just what she needed right now.

"Just wondering what you were staring so intently at," the younger girl answered as she peeked around Weiss. Her eyes widened and she grinned mischievously. "Hey, is that Professor Yue? Who's that woman he's with? Do you think he's on a date?"

Sputtering, Weiss said, "N-no! That woman is my sister and I doubt she would be all the way here at Beacon for s-some...date!" The last word was practically forced out. "I mean the very idea is preposterous!"

Ruby's grin widened as she questioned, "You sure? Then why are you hiding here instead of saying hi to your sister?"

"I-I..." Weiss stammered, her brain shutting down.

"Well if you're not going to greet them, then I will!" Ruby said as she bounced forward. "Hey, Professor Yue! Good aft-"

Moving quicker than she ever had before, Weiss spun around and grabbed Ruby by her hood and yanked, hard. As Ruby fell backwards, Weiss grabbed one of the younger girl's arms and threw her against the vending machine, pinning her while clamping a hand over the girl's mouth. With her teammate secured, Weiss let out a relieved sigh and peeked out to see if her sister or Professor Yue had heard the little scuffle. She frowned when she could not see the two.

"Weiss? What are you doing to that poor girl?"

Weiss froze. Gulping, she turned her head slowly around and winced when she saw Winter staring at her. Part of her noted that Professor Yue was by her sister's side, watching amusingly.

"H-hello sister. Wonderful day we're having isn't it?" she got out while quickly releasing Ruby, who staggered away from her wincing as she rubbed her neck.

"Miss Rose, are you quite alright?" Professor Yue asked, his face turning concerned.

"F-fine, Professor," Ruby said with a small cough. "Weiss was just showing me a new martial art move."

Winter and Professor Yue looked at each other then back at Weiss and Ruby. Their eyes spoke volumes on how they doubted that was the case but neither of them said anything.

After a few moments, Winter finally said, "Very well. Seeing as my sister is now here I believe it's time I spent some time catching up with her." She smiled at Professor Yue and dipped her head slightly. "I _will_ be seeing you."

"Of course," Professor Yue answered with a smile of his own. "You can count on it."

"Now then. Weiss, come, we have much to discuss." Without another word, Winter walked off, her subordinates following close behind her.

"Yes sister!" Weiss glanced at Ruby and sent her an apologetic look before quickly taking off after her sister.

* * *

"So then Miss Rose," Yue began while looking down at the young huntress. "What will it take to have you keep silent about this?"

Ruby looked up at him and grinned. "The usual, Professor."

"Done."

* * *

 **Well then. This was probably my most embarrassing chapter to re-write. The original exchange between Winter and Yue was...well it was just stupid.**

 **There was also more to this chapter previously but I felt that ending it here was better.**

 **Comments and Criticisms are welcome.**

 **Cheers!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Posted 3/11/2018**

 **Hello! After almost a year I have finally returned.**

 **To be honest I forgot all about this fanfic. Had things pop up and it just got pushed back in my mind until it vanished.**

 **Now before you go on and start reading I suggest you go back and re-read the first chapters.**

 **Why? Because I re-wrote everything from the ground up. While the story hasn't changed drastically, it's different enough to cause some confusion if you just start here.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Jaune collapsed onto his back, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. It felt like his heart was going to explode. No, he was sure it was exploding. He struggled to raise his head and gasped, "P-Pyrrha...good...fight…."

His partner, who had somehow remained upright, looked at him and could only grin. She was bent over, her hands tightly gripping her knees, as she gasped for air.

They were both battered and bruised, their armor dented in various places. Their weapons lay forgotten on the forest floor.

Once he felt his breathing slow down and approach normalcy, Jaune pushed his body up and whistled as he took in their surroundings. There was hardly a tree left standing and he could not even begin to count the number of craters that now riddled the landscape. Even with two years of strict training and all his experience, it had taken him everything to keep up with his partner. Still, it was very different from how he had been.

He got up slowly and picked up his sword and shield. His shield would definitely need to be re-painted. Its face had been scoured clean. Hell, he might even leave it as is especially if they were going to continue these bouts, which he fully intended.

"Well, I should say that was a nice workout," he laughed before wincing. He definitely had a sprained rib or two. Aura was not the impervious shield that some people made it out to be. "Just maybe next time you could go easy?"

Pyrrha grinned again and walked over to him, having already recovered her weapons. A finger prodded him in the chest, as she said, "Not a chance, Jaune. That was the best fight I had in years. I'm not going to let you off so easy."

"Ack, no mercy!" Jaune cried in mock protest. He glanced up at his partner's hair and winced. "Although I don't think these bouts will be easy for your hair."

Pyrrha grimaced as she ran her fingers through her matted red hair. "I must look horrible."

Chuckling, he folded his arms and teased, "Not at all Pyrrha! You must simply tell me who does it!"

"Jerk!" Pyrrha said with a laugh while making a half-hearted swing at him. Turning her head, she surveyed the area and muttered, "We really made a mess of the place. You think anyone would notice?"

"Nope!" He made a show of looking around and continued, "I really can't tell the difference honestly. Frankly, I think it looks better than before! Who doesn't enjoy a nice barren wasteland?"

"Well at least we can come back here for our next fight and not worry about the scenery," Pyrrha said lightly as she stretched out her arms. "Mmm, I could use a shower however. And a meal."

"Or several," Jaune agreed. "Maybe we can talk Ren into making some of that famous curry of his." He could already feel his mouth salivating at the thought. You could say whatever you will about the man, but he had a magical sense when it came to cooking.

"Maybe we can invite team RWBY as well?" Pyrrha suggested as they began to walk back towards the campus. "I would imagine by the time we get back it'll almost be time for dinner."

Jaune nodded at the idea. While Beacon normally provided its students and faculty with meals during the week, the fare set out during the weekends was always quite bland. Thankfully, the school let anyone use their kitchen so long as the ones using it provided their own ingredients. The idea now set in his mind; he dialed Ren on his Scroll and quickly relayed the suggestion when his teammate picked up.

"That would be fine, Jaune," Ren answered in his ever stoic manner. "I had already made plans to do so tonight. I'm sure I can make enough for everyone."

Letting out a cheer, Jaune smiled and said, "Ren, you're the best. I'll let everyone else know." Hanging up, he then quickly set a message to Ruby and her team as few as a few others. With that taken care of, he gave nodded at Pyrrha who had been listening and together they started running, their aches forgotten.

* * *

Cardin raised his head once he heard his Scroll ring but before he could get up to check it, Velvet had already reached over and grabbed it. Sighing, he set his head back onto her lap and asked, "Who was it?"

The two of them were relaxing on the couch in team CFVY's dorm room and had been for most of the afternoon. The only other person in the room was Coco who was performing routine maintenance on her mini-gun on the kitchen table.

"It was Jaune," Velvet answered while putting his Scroll back on the stand next to the couch. "He said to he wouldn't be able to make it tonight. Something about getting curry with his team."

"Oh?" Cardin grinned wickedly. If that meant what he thought it meant then he would need to crash team JNPR's room come dinnertime. "Hey, Velv? What do you say to getting some curry as well? I know a great spot."

Before Velvet could answer, he turned his head to look at Coco who was still working diligently on her weapon. "Coco, what about you? Interested?"

Pausing in her work, Coco set down her screwdriver and tilted her sunglasses down with her index finger. For some reason the girl wore them everywhere she went, indoors and out. "Well I don't see why not. What do you think Velv?"

"I would love to," Velvet answered. "I've always wanted to see what the appeal was."

"Sounds like a plan," Coco said with a grin before returning to her work. "We had planned on takeout tonight, but getting out for a change is good too. I'll throw Fox and Yatsuhashi a text. Should we have them meet us here or in Vale, Cardin?"

"Here is fine Coco," he answered before closing his eyes. Meanwhile Velvet went back to stroking his short orange hair, her actions gentle and smoothing.

He almost felt guilty, while his girlfriend was here pampering him, his team was out in the Emerald Forest undergoing their latest training assignment with Professor Port. The jolly professor had almost been beside himself with joy when Cardin had suggested that his team join the man in one of his "expeditions." Originally, he had resigned himself on joining them but then something came up.

Cracking open an eye, he smiled up at Velvet who blushed prettily back at him. He had her to thank for getting out of listening to Port's long-winded stories.

 _Ah, young love,_ the professor had said. _Fear not my young ward; your teammates shall be safe with me! Go and enjoy your springtime of youth!_

He'll have to make it up to him team later. Maybe try to give them a break one weekend. He felt he owed them that much. They had so far taken everything he had thrown at them with nary a complaint.

"What are you thinking about?"

Opening his other eye, Cardin placed a hand on the side of his girlfriend's face, marveling at how soft her cheek felt. The blush that had been present flushed even darker. He felt his own cheeks start burning and said softly, "Just how beautiful you are Velvet."

Her cheeks colored even more if that was possible and she lowered her head to give him a quick peck. "Oh you..."

"Hey lovebirds!" Coco grumbled from the kitchen. "You guys want to get a room? People are trying to work here!"

Cardin winked at Velvet and shouted back, "We're already in one!"

"Smartass!"

* * *

"Oh. My. God. Ren! This. IS. AMAZING!" Nora moaned as she took another bite of the chicken curry Ren had made. Her back arced as she exclaimed, "Sooooo good!"

Meanwhile Ren just sighed as he handed doled out more servings of curry. He was glad he had made so much especially after Cardin and team CFVY had decided to crash their dorm room. Hopefully he had enough to sate their appetites.

A glance at the room showed that everyone was reacting favorably to his cooking.

Yang and Ruby had already grabbed seconds while Yatsuhashi seemed to have reached enlightenment judging by how serene the man's face was. Meanwhile Jaune and Cardin seemed to be crying as they worked their way through their own bowls.

Pyrrha in the meantime appeared to have found a new love and even Blake, normally quiet and reserved, was literally purring as she attacked her food. It was all very interesting.

"My god, this is fabulous!" Coco cried out, her trademark sunglasses forgotten on the floor as she rocketed up from her chair. "You MUST tell me the recipe!"

"Yes! I must simply have this recipe!" Weiss added in, her eyes ablaze with passion. "I'll give you whatever you want! Dust? Money? Stock in the Schnee Dust Company? Name it!"

Smiling gently, Ren refused the advances made by the two very demanding girls and instead turned to the quieter members of the room. "Are you all enjoying yourselves?" he asked, curious on their responses.

Fox nodded stoically, the man's bowl pristine as it lay in front of him. Velvet, who sat next to him, beamed. "Yes! It was simply divine! I'm glad Cardin brought me. You are quite the cook, Ren."

Ren nodded, accepting her praise. Turning back to the pot, he wasn't surprised to see that it almost empty or that Nora was chasing around the last few morsels. Next time he would account for Cardin and the others. As he started cleaning up, he heard someone knock on the door. Considering how the rest of the room's inhabitants were in various states of bliss, he decided to answer it.

"Ah, good evening, Ren," Professor Yue greeted. "How is your evening?"

Bowing, Ren answered, "Very good, Professor Yue. How may I help you?"

The professor looked past him and into the dorm room. One of his eyes raised in what seemed like confusion.

Curious, Ren turned around. He sighed wearily. It had happened again. It was the only thing wrong with his cooking. Whoever ate it always fell into what some people had dubbed 'a food coma.'

"I'm sorry Professor, but it looks like this might not be the best time."

The professor chuckled and waved his hand, dismissing the apology. "No, no. It is quite all right. In fact, I had come here due to some noise complaints lounged against your room. But seeing as how they all seem to be asleep now, we'll call that matter settled."

"Thank you, Professor."

"Oh, but Ren?"

"Yes, Professor?"

"Good luck."

Ren frowned and turned, but the man had already disappeared. It was only when he heard growling from within the room that he understood what the professor had meant.

He gulped nervously.

* * *

 **Comments and Criticisms are welcome.**

 **Cheers!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Posted 3/18/2018**

 **Update? Update.**

 **Combined chapter 1 and 2 into one since they really should've been one chapter to begin with.**

 **Added a small addition to chapter 1 that might clear up some questions.**

 **That's it!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Cardin snarled as he slammed his mace into the body of an Ursa Major. The beast roared in agony as bones splintered under the force of his blow. He jumped back as the Ursa swiped at him savagely, its massive claws just barely missing his head. Keen to end the fight quickly, he ducked as the Ursa attacked him again and swung his mace upwards into the beast's chest. In his mind, he could see the ribcage as it shattered into pieces, the fragmented bones piercing the Ursa's organs.

The beast roared once more and then collapsed as all strength left its body. It growled pitifully at him and for a moment, Cardin felt pity for the creature. But only for a moment. Lifting his mace once more, he brought it down on the Ursa's head, silencing it forever.

As he lifted his mace, blood and fur sticking to the head of his weapon, Cardin looked around and spotted Jaune as the man tore through a pack of Beowulves. The man was like a whirlwind, his sword never stopping as he sliced and carved his way through the Grimm. In a way, it was almost beautiful.

A growl behind him however made him remember where he was. Chuckling, Cardin turned around and grinned as an Alpha Beowulf leapt at him. As he smashed the Grimm's face with his fist he couldn't help but think how all this fighting was quite therapeutic in a way. He had not had the chance to let loose in awhile and all that pent up energy had been building up, energy that he could now unleash on the Grimm.

He looked mockingly at the Beowulf as it slowly got up, the beast slowly shaking its head as if in a daze. "Cmon, Fido. Surely that's not all you got?"

While he wasn't sure if the Grimm understand him or not, it let out a tremendous howl and charged him, its jaws opening wide. It almost looked angry.

Grinning still, Cardin leaned back as the Grimm missed him entirely. As it passed him, he reached out and grabbed the Beowulf's tail with his free hand. The beast actually yelped in pain as its body came to a sudden screeching stop. With a grunt, he slammed the Grimm into the ground before crushing its skull with his mace.

They continued like that for a while, tearing their way through Forever Fall. However, after his 50th Grimm kill Cardin stopped and signaled at Jaune who had been about to chase after a few fleeing Creep. The young man saw his signal and stopped, sheathing his sword before running over.

"All done Cardin?" Jaune asked while keeping an eye at their surroundings.

Grinning, Cardin puffed out his chest and said, "Yeah, I think that'll keep me going for at least a few weeks." He stretched his arms and let out a pleased growl as he felt some of his bones crack. "Oh yeah. I'm definitely good."

"Alright, I'll call Yue so he can come and pick us up."

"Fine by me, that walk back would be a pain."

While Jaune picked up his Scroll and dialed the professor, Cardin yawned and worked out a few more kinks in his body. He wasn't tired, far from it, but he could use a nice nap. They always felt the best after a decent workout and food usually followed. Speaking of food, he wondered how Velvet was doing. Before he had gone on his little excursion with Jaune, she had said something about meeting up with some friends of hers for lunch. He hoped she was having fun.

"Alright, Yue is on his way," Jaune said, pocketing his Scroll. "He commented on how it didn't take that long for you to unwind."

Cardin smirked and pounded his chest once. "Cmon, who do you think I am? I'm no berserker, with no mind for anything but fighting. Think of me as a surgeon, one who delicately and expertly takes apart his enemies!"

"With a mace," Jaune commented as he rolled his eyes in what seemed to be exasperation.

"I never said I was a good surgeon," he shot back straight-faced.

Jaune looked at him incredulously and Cardin stared back, his face deadpan. Time itself seemed to slow as the two stared at each other, the seconds crawling while they waged their silent battle. However a bead of sweat soon formed on Cardin's brow and slowly slid down his face until it reached his right eye. He fought the muscles that tried to defy him but it was futile. He blinked.

As if on cue, Jaune threw his head back and started laughing uproariously.

Cardin joined him soon after, his eyes closing from the silliness of it all.

"W-why are we still laughing?" Jaune gasped after several minutes.

"I-I don't bloody well know!" answered Cardin, his arms clutching his sides, before submitting to a coughing fit.

If it had even been possible, the act caused Jaune to laugh even harder.

"Well, nice to see you two are having fun."

Jaune and Cardin abruptly stopped laughing and looked up to see Yue standing a few feet from them, looking at them impassively. They looked at each other, back to Yue, and then started roaring with laughter once more.

"Yes, yes. Laugh it up you hyenas. Come on; let's get you two back to Beacon."

Still laughing, Cardin let himself be guided toward the waiting Bullhead. When the laughter finally subsided and he was strapped safely in the airship, he wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes. Letting out a satisfied sigh, he nodded at Jaune who sat opposite from him. The young man returned the gesture then took out his Scroll and started tapping away.

"You two okay back there?" Yue asked from the cockpit.

"All good."

"Same."

Engines firing, the Bullhead lifted off and quickly gained altitude.

Since the trip back to Beacon would easily take an hour even by Bullhead, Cardin settled back and decided now was a good time as any to take his nap. As he was lulled to sleep by the vibrations of the airship, he smiled.

* * *

Pyrrha carefully took a bite of her dessert and couldn't help but squeeze her eyes shut as she moaned in enjoyment. The chocolate cake she had chosen was everything it had promised to be and more. The waves of pleasure that assaulted her threatened to break her, make her collapse from the sheer bliss.

"Wow, Rubes, what was in that cake?" she heard Yang whisper.

Remembering where she was, her eyelids shot open and she blushed when she saw how everyone at the table was staring at her. She quickly averted her eyes and put down her fork while saying, "Sorry!"

Yang chuckled. "Nothing for you to apologize for Pyrrha! That was some reaction though! It looked like you had died and gone to heaven. Was it really that good?"

Still blushing, Pyrrha turned back to look at the others and saw how they were all staring at her expectantly. She struggled to put into words how she had felt. How the moist chocolate cake had literally melted in her mouth causing stars to explode in her eyes while the cream had played with her taste buds in ways she thought impossible. The fudge, oh the fudge, it had been so rich and made her feel as if she had been kissed by angels. In the end, she decided to keep it simple. "It was very good. Thank you for the suggestion, Ruby."

"See? See? I told you, Yang! This place has the best cakes!"

"Alright, alright. I believe you," Yang chuckled while picking up a fork. She carefully cut a piece of her lemon sherbet cake and placed it in her mouth. The girl's eyes went wider than dinner plates as she chewed then swallowed. "Oh. My. God."

Before anyone could even blink, the blond had flown from the cafe table and attacked one of the waiters, demanding to see the baker. Ruby followed her sister with a cry. "Yang! Put that man down!"

Amused despite herself, Pyrrha turned to the person at her side and said, "I'm really sorry about all of this, Velvet. I hope you don't mind."

The second-year looked back at her and smiled. "Not at all, Pyrrha. You should have seen the antics my team got up to during our first-year. If anything this is quite normal."

Velvet glanced down at her own plate and the small cheesecake that sat on top. "However, was it really that good?"

"It was exquisite."

"Hmm." Velvet seemed to study her cake, as if trying to figure what to do. After a moment, she took a deep breath and picked up her fork. A piece of cheesecake went into her mouth and Pyrrha could have sworn she saw Velvet's ears spasm.

Leaving her senior to it, Pyrrha returned to her own cake. It was intriguing how such a small thing had so much power over her. She took a deep breath and steeled her resolve. That first bite had caught her off guard but that was because she had not been ready. She would not make the same mistake twice. Her fork descended.

xxx

"We shall not speak of this to anyone, not even to our teams. Is that clear?"

Yang, Ruby and Pyrrha nodded, their faces slightly flushed.

Satisfied, Velvet led the three away from the delightful yet accursed café that they had spent the last hour in. The things that had been said, the things that they had done! How could something so cute and innocent be so dangerous? The experience had been a revelation for her. Never again would she view baked goods as delightful little treats. No, they were weapons, weapons that could bring down huntsmen-in-training with a single bite.

Several blocks later, she felt they were finally far enough away from the café and sat down on a nearby picnic table. Ruby, Yang and Pyrrha joined her, mirroring the spots they had occupied at the café.

Velvet regarded the others once they were settled and asked, "What would you girls like to do now? We still have quite some time before the last Bullhead leaves for Beacon."

Yang glanced at Ruby and Pyrrha who both dipped their heads as if confirming something. "Well…there is something we've been wondering about for awhile now."

She didn't know why but she suddenly felt the urge to run, to get away from the three first-years but decided to hear Yang out. It couldn't be that bad.

"Why did you choose Cardin?"

On the other hand, it could be.

Trying to deflect the topic, Velvet laughed anxiously and said, "I'm not sure what you're talking about. What do you mean, why did I choose Cardin?"

Unfortunately, it wasn't that easy. Why would it be?

"Oh please, Velvet," Yang said while rolling her eyes. "You might not know it but everyone already knows the two of you are going out."

Her own eyes widening, Velvet stammered. "E-everyone?"

She froze as her mind raced. Cardin and she had been so careful to make sure their relationship stayed secret outside of their teams. It was not as if they were embarrassed by their feelings, far from it, but there were other reasons it couldn't be known. When Pyrrha dropped a hand on her shoulder, she recoiled, her mouth clamping down just in time to stifle a scream.

"Velvet, are you okay?" The red-haired girl asked, concern reflected in her emerald colored irises.

"What? I…that is…" Taking a deep breath, Velvet closed her eyes and remembered what Yatsuhashi had told her to do whenever she started feeling even a little bit anxious. Breathe in. Count to ten. Then exhale. Repeat. After several cycles, she felt her heartbeat slow and opened her eyelids. She smiled nervously when she saw how the others were still looking at her in concern. "I'm sorry. That just caught me so off guard. I didn't know we were so transparent."

She started when Ruby suddenly stood up, slamming both palms onto the table in the process, and stared accusingly at Yang.

"Yang…" the younger girl muttered, her eyes thinning. "Why did you ask her like that? Velvet is our friend. Say it straight!"

Looking between the two sisters, Velvet frowned. A quick glance to the side showed her that Pyrrha appeared out of the loop as well. "What is she talking about, Yang?"

"Well…" Yang began hesitantly while scratching the back of her head. "I might've have been exaggerating just a little when I said _everyone_ knew about what you and Cardin have."

"What do you mean?"

Fast as lighting, Yang bent at the waist and clapped her hands together in front of her face, her eyes closing as she bowed. "I'm sorry, Velvet! I didn't mean it, believe me! I was only trying to get a reaction out of ya! Please forgive me!"

Flabbergasted, Velvet stared at Yang, her mouth hanging open. She had no idea what to make of the apology or what precisely Yang was even apologizing for.

Sighing, Pyrrha removed her hand from Velvet's shoulder and said, "What I believe Yang is trying to say is that she misled you in thinking how many of our peers know of you and Cardin. How her use of _everyone_ should perhaps be taken in a much-limited scale. Isn't that right, Yang?"

"Exactly!"

As understanding dawned on her, Velvet began to nod before stopping the motion mid-way. "Wait, then who knows?"

Opening one eye, Yang answered, "Just our teams and even then maybe only the three of us here along with Blake and possibly Jaune."

Feeling relieved beyond measure, Velvet smiled and nodded appreciatively at Pyrrha and Ruby, the latter having returned to her seat. Turning back to Yang, she said, "I forgive you, Yang. Just please, don't do that again."

"Thank you, Velv. You have my word," Yang promised while sitting back down.

"Still," Velvet began once Yang was seated. "How did you all find out? We were quite careful in how we acted around each other."

"Believe it or not, Ruby here was the one who found out about it first," Yang said, jerking a thumb at her sister. "Or at least the idea of it being a thing. Can't say I believed her at first."

Ruby blew a raspberry at her sister before saying, "Honestly the only reason I found out was because of Professor Port. You all know how boring his classes are."

The four girls took a moment to consider their portly professor and could only nod in agreement. The man was very long-winded, especially when talking about himself and his various exploits, half of which the class believed were vast exaggerations. Killing a Death Stalker with nothing but his bare hands and a piece of dental floss? Unbelievable! At this point, his class was more of a study hall than an actual class. Something that the man didn't seem to realize or maybe chose not to.

"Anyway, I noticed you guys start sitting together in class once the first few weeks had passed. I kinda found it odd especially how it just had seemed to happen. After several days of watching you two I realized why." Cracking a grin, Ruby looked at Velvet rather eagerly. "The way you two act when you think no-one is looking? It's too cute!"

Blushing fiercely, Velvet pulled her ears down to cover her face. The idea someone had seen them was bad enough. The fact it was someone like Ruby who was also three years her junior? Words alone could not express how embarrassing it felt.

"Ah geez, look what you did, Ruby. You broke her!"

"It's not my fault, Yang! Besides you started it!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Girls, please. Can't you see you're making Velvet uncomfortable?"

"No, it's okay Pyrrha," Velvet said as she released her ears. "I'm fine, just a little embarrassed over all of this."

"A little?" asked Yang.

"Maybe more than a little," Velvet allowed with a light chuckle. "However, I think I'm ready to answer your question."

The other three girls leaned forward eagerly.

"It's simple. He makes me happy and I love him for it."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"C'mon! There has to be more than that!" Yang cried.

Ruby bobbed frantically in agreement. "Yeah, the books I read about this type of stuff always said how love is magical. Like the feeling is so intense all else fades or how stars explode from the very feeling of seeing your loved one!"

Smiling, Velvet answered, "But it is, Ruby. It is magical but for the simplest of reasons. Cardin isn't just my boyfriend but my best friend. He listens to me, supports me and helps me whenever I have a problem. I do the same in return."

"But how is that different from any other friend?" Ruby asked, her face showing her bewilderment. "I mean I do what you just said with all my friends. Does that mean I love them too?"

Still smiling, Velvet said, "It just might, Ruby. However, what I feel for Cardin goes deeper than that. For example, when I hug Coco, Fox, or Yatsuhashi I'm happy as well. They're my friends just like Weiss or Blake might be to you or Yang."

She turned to look at Pyrrha briefly. "Or Ren and Nora to you."

Not missing the blush on Pyrrha's face, Velvet winked at the red-haired girl before continuing, "But it's different when I hug Cardin. I don't feel just happy, I feel content, complete."

Pausing, she frowned slightly. "I'm sorry, am I making any sense with this? This is my first time I am talking about this to someone outside of my own team. Maybe I should be explaining it differently?"

Pyrrha answered, her eyes shut with her head tilted forward. "No, I get what you mean. You're saying that Cardin doesn't just make you happy in the normal sense of the word. He…he's like a part of you that you never knew you were missing. That's why you feel complete when you're with him."

Velvet crossed her arms and lowered her head, thinking on what Pyrrha had said. "Yes, I think that explains what I'm trying to say accurately enough. Cardin to me is like that last piece that was needed to complete the puzzle."

The two sisters cocked their heads, their bafflement obvious.

"Well, I'm not sure I still get it," Ruby slowly began. "But I can at least see that even talking about Cardin puts a smile on your face. And that's a good enough reason for me!"

"I'm with Rubes," agreed Yang. "It's the end result that really matters and clearly Cardin is doing something right. Still, sorry for springing this on you out of nowhere. I really didn't mean any harm by it."

"It's alright, Yang. As I've said already, all is forgiven."

As Velvet's last word left her lips, silence fell upon the four girls. They all regarded each other, unsure what to say next.

"So…who would like some ice cream?" Pyrrha finally said, shattering the quiet that had gripped them.

Ruby and Yang both eagerly jumped up and clapped their hands together. "Yeah, let's go!"

Velvet giggled. "Oh, alright

* * *

 **Cardin and Velvet centered chapter this time with a little Pyrrha sprinkled in.**

 **Next chapter will involve Jaune and Pyrrha as the main focus.**

 **Comments and Criticisms are welcome.**

 **Cheers!**


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